


Love Is Itself Unmoving

by writingwithmolls



Series: Into the Rose Garden [8]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Haircuts, Multi, Polyamory, Post-War, Pregnancy, They are so in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:20:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28373034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingwithmolls/pseuds/writingwithmolls
Summary: Edelgard's hair has begun to grow in brown once more. She decides to get rid of it once and for all--Dorothea and Byleth helping her with a haircut that will allow her to leave the past behind and look to the future.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg, Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, Dorothea Arnault/My Unit | Byleth, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Series: Into the Rose Garden [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1575940
Comments: 14
Kudos: 43





	Love Is Itself Unmoving

Edelgard looked at herself in the mirror, twisting her silver locks between her fingers. They had always caught the light in an unnatural way, the refractions getting lost in the maze of strands. In some settings it looked more white—snow instead of metal. Both cold, both unyielding.

She picked up the brush again, running it through the hair and remembering the first time she saw the new color. To  _ them _ she was a success, to  _ her _ she was a monster. In some ways, she still felt it was the truth, Edelgard wasn’t meant to be normal, but all of her past was far behind her. Two years since she passed the crown, eight since she had won the war, twelve since she had fallen in love when she thought no one could love a creature like her. Dorothea would always care for her hair, twisting it up and placing the crown on her head with a kiss.

The wind whispered promises of fall, but the leaves still rested on the trees outside. The foliage around Garreg Mach had stayed vibrant in the unusual warm weather, their home since getting married. Even in just a single year of their commitment, Edelgard felt the comfort of their home as if it had stood for a millennium. She was no longer an emperor and Dorothea had retired from the stage at thirty, wanting to bring music lessons to the poorer kids of Garreg Mach. Music had been her lifeline—her way out—and she wanted to give them the same opportunities. Byleth’s teaching position meant that she could be home most nights, sitting around the table and enjoying a meal as Fish begged for scraps.

“Edie darling. Are you ready?” Dorothea’s voice followed a knock on the door, Edelgard finally breaking eye contact with the mirror. All three of them had aged and dreamed and accomplished, but there was still a life that bloomed in front of them. “Can I come in?”

“Of course,” Edelgard said. She wanted to give one last look at herself, one last image of the silver hair that marked her as broken. Dorothea opened the door quietly, reverently looking at Edelgard in the mirror.

“You don’t have to go through with it if you are doubting your decision.” Dorothea spoke softly, continuing to gather what she would need from the washroom. She went to grab something from the cabinet under the counter, but Edelgard stopped her and kneeled instead.

“What do you need, love?”

“A few extra towels to lay on the ground.”

Edelgard fetched the towels before kissing Dorothea’s growing stomach. Her wife’s due date was looming over them, stirring excitement and nerves in Edelgard. Linhardt had been so kind to put his research to use (even if he  _ did _ refer to their future child as “Experiment #1”), and the baby that Dorothea was carrying was Edelgard’s. She had wanted to carry them herself, but Lin had deemed her body not strong enough to warrant the risk.

It was difficult to be “not strong enough.”

“I love you,” Dorothea said, taking both sides of her face into her hands and kissing her. Edelgard kissed her back, placing her hands on her stomach. It had been absurd the first time she had felt the baby kick, both of them excitedly yelling for Byleth to come and feel. The three of them had huddled in their bed, each with a hand on Dorothea’s stomach to feel the tiny movements. By this point, it would hurt when the baby moved. Soon, they would have a child to take care of.

“I love you,” Edelgard responded, bundling the towels in her hands. She couldn’t deny that she wanted to do this for their baby that would likely be born within the month. Edelgard wanted to be the best person she could be by then. “Where’s Byleth?”

“Already outside. Likely playing with Fish.” Dorothea chuckled. “It’s still warm, so at least nothing will get caught in your sweater.”

“I’ll be out in a second,” Edelgard said. Her wife was vibrant and she hoped that one day she would be the same.

“Of course.” Dorothea kissed her temple. “Take all the time you need.”

Left alone, Edelgard looked at her reflection once more.

The only thing she remembered of her old hair was one time when her oldest sister had spent hours twisting it up for a ball. She was meant to be the heir to the Hresvelg throne, leaving her little free time. Most of her days were filled with lessons and negotiations, so it was no wonder she barely knew her younger siblings.

Her sister had been so careful with her hair—the only person to rival her touch would be Dorothea many years later—combing it out starting from the bottom. Her hair was also brunette, but she praised Edelgard for how light it was. She tied ribbons in her hair and promised she would spend more time with the younger von Hresvelg’s.

Less than a year later, she was dead and Edelgard’s hair was silver.

She took a deep breath and ran the brush through one more time. It had gotten long through the years, only trimming when it was necessary. The only times she had ever loved her hair were when Dorothea and Byleth played with it. Those moments always made Edelgard feel safe, like she was worthy of their love… of their adoration. Putting the brush down, she left the washroom and wandered the house.

Their house was by no means  _ small _ , but it felt tiny compared to many years in the palace. It was there to protect them—a little nest that stole them away from the real world. Her and her wives shared a room with a big bed and woolen covers. Every night it offered a place to rest, a moment in time where nothing mattered apart from one another’s warmth and attentive touches. Edelgard fell in love with their kitchen with its big wooden island and stone oven. Her and Byleth learned how to cook all sorts of meals from cookbooks they would buy from town. Dorothea would usually sit with them as they measured out the ingredients, writing down a new song or poem.

Edelgard loved their living area, as well. They had a plush rug that made even the coldest evenings inviting. On the wall hung a portrait of the three of them—a wedding gift from Hubert and Ferdinand. Unlike most royal portraits, the three of them weren’t looking straight ahead with solemn faces. No, they looked to one another with smiles lighting up their expressions. The painter couldn’t quite capture the glint of her silver hair, but otherwise it looked like it was stolen out of time. Fish would usually curl up in her bed underneath the portrait, content with the hearth nearby to warm her.

Edelgard’s favorite rooms were the ones that still stood empty.

They were filled with the promise of a family: three bare rooms. One would be for the baby on the way, the one that was growing in her wife’s stomach. The other two were for after they were born—when both mother and baby would be strong enough to travel to Enbarr. Byleth, Dorothea, and Edelgard planned on adopting, to help the young ones who were so much like the songstress.

Edelgard smiled to herself before joining her loves outside of the home they had made. Byleth had a shining blade in her hand, using it to reflect the sunlight in spots on the grass. Fish would stare at the glow skeptically before wiggling her butt and pouncing, unable to capture the light of the fairy. The kitten had grown into a handsome cat, a black fluff ball who was spoiled to death. Dorothea was laughing while tending the roses in the garden. With the unusually warm season, they would bloom deep into the fall. Planting the garden had been one of Edelgard’s little projects.

Without having to be an emperor, she realized how much time there was in a day. It was admittedly terrifying to figure out who she was without… everything. Without her rule, without needing revenge, without meetings and fighting and bottles and losses.

Byleth helped her find some of the things she  _ was _ : wife, an artist, a mother (to a cat). She liked to read and spend quiet moments in the woods that surrounded their home. Edelgard now knew that she liked caring for plants, playing the piano (poorly, in her opinion), and baking. She wondered if she was blooming into the little Edelgard von Hresvelg she was supposed to be before her life was stolen—or if she was a new creation.

Dorothea promised that it only mattered that she was here, standing.

“Okay, let’s put Fish inside,” Dorothea said with a smile when she saw Edelgard emerge. “The last thing we want is her tripping one of us.”

“You heard Mama,” Byleth said, picking up the cat and bringing her inside. Even though she was now five years old, Fish insisted on being the baby of the house. She always clung to her owners, snaking around their ankles and crying for their attention.

“Excited, Edie? Or mostly nervous?” Dorothea asked.

“Can I be both?”

“Of course, love.” Dorothea caught her hand and pulled her in for a kiss. “My brave, beautiful girl.”

Byleth returned without Fish and with one of their dining room chairs instead. She plopped it among the rose bushes and patted the seat. “Welcome to the most expensive salon in all of Fódlan.”

“Thank you,” Edelgard said, grateful that her wives had set everything up for her. They had decided it would be best to cut her hair outside where it wouldn’t cling to the furniture, or the cat, for that matter. Instead, they let the breeze and sun greet them on an afternoon where there wasn’t much to be done. “Are you sure you’ll be able to do this?”

“I can do it!” Byleth insisted, kissing the top of her head when she sat down. “Dorothea will do most of the heavy lifting and I’ll finish up. Everything is sharpened just for you.”

Edelgard had seen her sharpen the scissors and the blade the prior night, Byleth wanting to guarantee that she wouldn’t nick her skin. She knew her wife only did it to calm her, but it was a sweet gesture. Edelgard wasn’t sure if she would trust anyone else to be that close to her— _ especially _ with a knife.

“Any questions or doubts?” Dorothea asked, tucking a towel around her shoulders.

“Are you sure it will look nice?” Edelgard frowned as Byleth handed their wife the scissors.

“It will be portrait-worthy,” Dorothea assured, clipping the scissors as she readied her grip. “We will get to see your perfect, gorgeous face more.”

With her reassurances and Byleth squeezing her hand, Edelgard nodded. “I’m ready.”

“Good, love,” Dorothea said, twisting her fingers through the silver. “Any goodbyes?”

Edelgard shook her head, but she had already bid it farewell. She would be able to toss it aside with the weight of her crown. She could be their wife. She could be a mother. She could be Edelgard and not some puppet dangling by string.

The first snip rang out in her ear. Dorothea didn’t fool around, cutting chunks of hair from about her chin. It fell on the ground around her, like the leaves in autumn. The snow, white and silver, landed on her shoulders—a body so ruined and twisted by crests. It all fell away—snip after snip that ruptured the sounds of the forest. It was unnatural among the birds’ chirps, but Edelgard supposed  _ she  _ was unnatural, too. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, letting Dorothea’s illustrious praise lull her storm-filled thoughts.

Candidly, Byleth had told her once that her hair returning from its ethereal green had been a relief. It made her realize that she was no long Rhea’s pawn. The professor hoped this would do the same.

“Darling,” Dorothea called for Byleth’s attention, “when it’s short like this you can really see the roots.”

Edelgard could tell that a bulk of her hair was gone with how easily Dorothea was flipping it from side-to-side, investigating the new growth.

It had been nearly a month since they realized that her hair was growing in brown. They were lying in bed one morning, Dorothea playing with the strands in the glittering morning light. Dorothea’s movements had slowed to a stop, her leaning in closer to get a better look.

At first she was terrified that she had found bugs, but it turned out she was looking at her roots. Instead of the sickly silver, they appeared to emerge in a brunette as rich as the soil in their garden. Edelgard was ready to dismiss it as a trick of the light, but the hair continued to grow in the light brown that she thought she would never see again.

The only one who had been more excited about the return of the warmth was Linhardt of all people. He had told them erratically about how it had always been a possibility—but he never expected it so soon. Seven years of research and to get results like this!

Edelgard finally deduced from his ramblings that most of her body had weaned itself off of the Crest of Flames. Her body, at the very least, was strong enough to produce its own pigmentation. The news took her breath away.

She was still chained to the crest, but with every snip of Dorothea’s scissors she was one step closer to never seeing the silver again.

“Darling, Edie,” Dorothea called her back to reality gently, brushing hair off of her shoulders. Edelgard was blessed to have a soul like hers to ground her. “I’m just going to trim a bit more and then our love is going to take over. She’s inside grabbing a chair for me real quick.”

“Thank you,” Edelgard said. She knew that Dorothea was filling her in so she could keep her eyes closed. “I’m sorry that you had to stand for so long.”

“It’s nothing—baby needs to get the hint that it’s nearly time to come out.”

“Are you scared?” Edelgard picked off a piece of hair that had been tickling her nose. The sun warmed them in its embrace.

“Whenever Manuela sees me, she says ‘I would  _ never _ be able to do that,’” Dorothea was laughing, “so, yes. I’m terrified. It will all be worth it, I know that much.”

“I love you.”

“Love you, Edie.” There was shuffling, Byleth bringing in a chair. Dorothea sat next to her, their hands intertwined. “Almost done… and what a beauty you are!”

“Just do your best to stay still for me, okay?” Byleth asked. “I have the blade with me, ready?”

“Yes,” Edelgard said, but she gripped Dorothea’s hand hard.

“You’re doing so good,” Byleth promised, running her hand over the short hair and kissing the very top. “I will be very careful.”

Edelgard flinched when the blade was held to her skin—the cold metal an unfriendly reminder of the past she was now shedding. The last of her hair landed on her shoulders as Byleth worked with her steady precision. She was lost in her own thoughts, barely able to register Dorothea’s cooes.

Edelgard wanted her hair gone. All of it.

She didn’t want to wait for the brown to crawl forward and take back the silver—no, she would claim it for herself. It had long overstayed its welcome. It was a reminder of what they did to her, a reminder that her body wasn’t hers at all.

Byleth’s hands felt strange against her bare scalp. Edelgard could feel the callouses from a lifetime of holding a sword. The metal against her head felt too familiar, but it never bit into her skin like her body was anticipating. It was never rough and prodding, but there were light touches that accompanied the blade.

“I’m going to cut around your ears,” Byleth announced, bending her ear gently out of the way.

Dorothea squeezed her hand. “You look vibrant.”

How many years did Edelgard believe that she would lose them? To the war, to the politics, to herself. Byleth and Dorothea stayed regardless of who she was, what form she took. She loved them more than anything she had ever accomplished. To be loved by them… it was all she wanted to be remembered for.

“It’s all done, El,” Byleth said, running her hands over her head to check for any remaining strands of hair. “It feels so nice.”

“I have a hand mirror if you would like to look,” Dorothea added. Edelgard could hear the careful tone in her words.

Slowly, Edelgard opened her eyes once more to the golden afternoon and the sun’s rays. She caught sight of the mirror and didn’t recognize the reflection. Without the silver hair that had spent years being tied up with her crown, she could only look at her eyes. They caught the light, the lilac standing out as brightly like the pink of her cheeks. Her eyelashes were dark and her skin had begun to wrinkle, a life of stress and pressure showing on her body. The fuzz close to her scalp was barely tinted brown, a promise of returning her to who she was before.

It was her.

“Oh,” she said, a whisper carried by the wind. She hesitantly brought a hand up, her fingers tickled by the fresh shave. “It doesn’t look… terrible.”

Part of her had thought the loss of hair would be a punishment… but she felt so light without the metal weight. So free.

“So much more than that!” Dorothea shoved the hand mirror into her hands before smothering her with a hug. “You look  _ gorgeous _ , Edie. I love it.”

“Powerful, too,” Byleth said, joining the embrace. “I’m so proud of you.”

Tucked away in the woods, outside of the home they made, Edelgard cried with her wives. Not over a past that they could not control, but for a future that was theirs, and theirs alone.

**Author's Note:**

> And finally the curtains close on "Into the Rose Garden!" I cannot thank readers (new and old!) enough for sticking through this series. I hope that my sporadic upload order didn't scare you away~ Honestly, it's a little silly to remember that when I was beginning this series I was too afraid to admit that perhaps I saw a little bit of myself in these girls... yeah now I only upload polyam content so that fear is long gone for the most part <3
> 
> Thank you for reading! (And I already have a modern!edelethea series planned, so be sure to follow me below if you want updates xD)
> 
> If you enjoyed please consider following [my fandom twitter](https://twitter.com/archivewithmoll) and [my personal twitter](https://twitter.com/mollyswiencki) where I write sapphic polyam novels!
> 
> Thank you for the support <3


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